The Blossoming of Sakura Haruno
by MyHikari
Summary: Watching Sakura grow up has been a wild ride for Kizashi and Mebuki, but they wouldn't change a thing about it.


A/N: So I learnt that Kizashi and Mebuki are now available to be listed as characters and I HAD to whip something up.

* * *

The first day Kizashi picked Sakura up from the Academy, he knew that there would be no persuading her not to go back. She simply loved the whole idea of school. The learning, the studying, it simply fascinated her. He guessed she picked it up from Mebuki, as he was never the brightest student.

Sakura continued to love school, being a bright pupil, until one day, he noticed he wasn't as cheerful as usual. She had been crying and she hung her head, her pink bangs falling into her bright green eyes-another trait from Mebuki.

"Sakura, sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked, stooping down to her level, gently holding her small hands.

She sniffed. "People were making fun of my forehead."

He chuckled lightly. "Sakura, your forehead is beautiful, just like you. Don't listen to those kids, they're just mean."

Sakura nodded obligingly, but the problem seemed to continue for some time.

"Mebuki," he said. "Sakura gets made fun of in school. Something about her forehead."

Mebuki stiffened, and reflexively flattened her own bangs against her forehead. "She has bangs, I don't see how those kids could even notice a thing like that."

"I dunno, dear, but she's really distraught about it."

The blonde sighed, and rubbed her temples. "I'll go talk to Inoichi's wife I suppose. They have a daughter Sakura's age."

A few days after Mebuki's interference, Kizashi noticed a happier Sakura after school. He watched with a smile as she waved goodbye to a blonde girl, and walked up to her father with a wide grin.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Well hello there my flower. Something looks different about you today? I can't figure out what it is..." Kizashi said, rubbing his mustache, trying to figure it out.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Dad! I have a ribbon in my hair now! See?" she said pointing to a red ribbon.

"Ahh! That's what it is! How cute!" he said, as his little girl blushed, and grabbed his hand, ready to walk home.

One year, Kizashi waited dutifully for his daughter, as he did everyday, and saw his now older daughter blushing.

"What's got you so pink in the face?" he asked, dreading to hear about a boy.

"There's this guy-" Kizashi inwardly groaned. 'Too soon!' "-and his name is Sasuke Uchiha. He is soooo dreamy..."

Kizashi sighed. He was not prepared for his pre-pubescent daughter to be boy-crazy just yet. Additionally, her mentioning the Uchiha boy brought a sense of foreboding within him. Everybody knew what had happened to the clan a few years back.

Unfortunately in this case, much like her mother, she was stubborn, and clung to her crush on Sasuke. It had even caused a rift between Sakura and Ino but she had tried to play it off as no big deal. Kizashi knew that deep down, their rivalry made her sad though.

* * *

Mebuki remembered sitting proudly, watching as her daughter graduated from the ninja academy. Both she and her husband ha graduated from the Academy, but never really went anywhere with their ninja careers. However, she had a feeling that Sakura would go far.

It wasn't just her motherly pride, more of her motherly intuition. She just hoped her daughter would stop being so boy crazy over that Sasuke, Mebuki could instantly tell it was a distraction. She figured once she got assigned to a squad she would forget about him and focus on her fledgling career.

That was, until Sakura came home from meeting her team. "I'm so happy I'm on the same squad as Sasuke-kun, but that dumb Naruto is on my team too. He's so annoying! And don't get me started on our sensei, Kakashi. He was late! And he also told us not to eat breakfast tomorrow."

"I guess you'll need an extra-large dinner then." Mebuki said, as she washed a dish.

Sakura sadly laid her head on the kitchen table. "Nah, I can't, I'm on a diet."

Mebuki rolled her eyes and chuckled inwardly. 'We'll see how long that lasts,' she thought.

Sakura's mother was right- the diet did not last long. Sakura became a smarter ninja, not that she wasn't brilliant to begin with, but she became a better ninja.

The Chunin Exams seemed to change everything for the young Haruno. Her parents were noticeably surprised one day when she came home with her hair cut. They were also concerned about exactly what had happened in the Forest of Death. Mebuki would peer into Sakura's room at night sometimes, only to hear her writhe and mutter "Sasuke...Naruto..."

Mebuki would rush to hear daughter's side and gently shake her awake.

"Sakura! You're having a nightmare!"

Sakura would look at her mother, her forehead dripping with a cold sweat, and she would occasionally shiver. "It was Orochimaru..."

Mebuki remembered how frightening Orochimaru was, even back when he wasn't a missing nin. She would go back up to her room where Kizashi would wait on the bed, worried.

"I don't know how she keeps getting into these dangerous situations, Kizashi. I know it's the nature of the job, but she's still a child..."

"What should we do?" he asked, his blue eyes lacking their usual mirth.

"What can we do? She would never quit."

"She's really worried about that Sasuke kid. It seems like danger follows him around."

"Now, Kizashi, that's not fair. I don't really like the boy either, but it's not like he's looking for trouble."

Sakura continued to be worried about Sasuke after the Chunin Exams ended, and especially the growing rift between Sasuke and Naruto.

Early one morning, Sakura came home after being out all night, visibly distraught and crying.

"Sakura! Where have you been? I was worried sick!" Mebuki had scolded, taking hold of the girl's shoulders, sensing something was wrong.

"Sakura, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Sasuke left," she choked out between sobs. "And Naruto is going to get him back."

Mebuki stroked her daughter's hair as she cried and cried, and exchanged a look with Kizashi.

* * *

Much to the surprise of Kizashi and his wife, Sasuke being gone was no longer a distraction but strengthened her resolve.

Naruto an her quickly set out to do what they could, Naruto going to train with Jiraiya the Toad Sage, and Sakura studying under the new Hokage herself, Lady Tsunade Senju.

Kizashi had been quite proud when Sakura reached the rank of Chunin, but he was even prouder when Tsunade pulled them aside one day.

"Sakura is one of the most talented I've ever seen." she said with a smile.

Kizashi was surprised, and in awe of the skill and resolve their daughter possessed. Mebuki merely rolled her eyes and claimed she knew it all along.

Sakura increasingly began to speak of we teammate Naruto: when he was getting back, how she wondered if he had chaned, how she couldn't wait for them to get Sasuke back together. Her father could tell she missed the goofy kid.

While eating lunch one afternoon, Sakura came in, antsy, excited and in a dither.

"What's up Sakura, did you and Ino find some incredible blouse again, while shopping?" Kizashi asked, not bothering to look up from his paper.

"No! Naruto came back! He's so tall now! I bet he's much stronger too, I'm sure we'll be able to bring Sasuke home really soon!"

Team Kakashi was formed once again, and Sakura and Naruto became doubly motivated to bring back their teammate. However, when Sakura would come home at night, she would talk about their new teammates Yamato and Sai, but mostly Naruto.

Kizashi remembered the first time he met the boy. A knock had roused him from his post-lunch, pre-nap haze.

As soon as he saw the boy, he knew he was the son of the 4th. The resemblance was simply uncanny. He also knew he was the container of the Kyuubi, but for some reason that never bother him. The boy had a certain charisma and charm, a kindred spirit to Kizashi personality-wise.

"Hello, may I speak to Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, trying to be polite, but excited as well.

Kizashi nodded. "Sure, let me go get her."

The Haruno man plodded up the stairs, and opened Sakura's bedroom door. She was sitting there, reading some historical fiction romance novel.

"Sakura, your boyfriend is here."

The girl immediately dropped her book on the floor. "Dad, Naruto isn't my boyfriend!"

"Then how'd you know who I was talking about?" he asked, a silly grin on his face. His daughter glared at him, and quickly brushed passed to go to the door. A slam let him know he had done his job.

Naruto and Sakura continued to grow close, and despite a 4th Ninja War looming, Sakura was more worried about Naruto, especially with matters involving Sasuke.

After the war, even with the return of Sasuke to the village, it was still all about Naruto for her. Kizashi and Mebuki noticed a shift in Sakura's attitude from when she had been younger. If Kizashi had to guess, she was in love.

Coming in from his garden one evening, he noticed her coming home from some work at the hospital.

"Sasuke left again," she said calmly, as she grabbed some food out of the refrigerator. Mebuki raised an eyebrow.

"As in he's a missing nin again?"

Sakura shrugged. "Nah, just to...wander. Oh, and Naruto and I are dating now."

Kizashi stared at Mebuki as Sakura dropped the news. All was calm.

* * *

Mebuki could not help herself but shed a small tear as she watched Sakura get ready for her wedding. She remembered the day that the newly minted Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze had visited them to ask for Sakura's hand.

"May I marry your daughter?" he said nervously, the hero of the war's forehead shining with sweat.

Kizashi chuckled happily. "I'm not the one whose permission you need," he said as he pointed to Mebuki.

Naruto nervously looked into green eyes that were so similar to those of his beloved. Mebuki sighed and gave the boy a small smile. "We both had known, that it would be you, Naruto. You don't need our permission."

Naruto sat there stunned, and Kizashi immediately enveloped both blondes in a large hug. "Come here son," he said with a sob.

Sakura's parents looked on proudly as Sakura became a wife, and continued to look on proudly as she became a mother as well.

On one particular visit to her parents house, Sakura joined them in watching her son, Minato, play happily on the floor. She rubbed her round stomach, clearly expecting another child, and sighed.

"Sometimes, I don't know how you guys put up with me," Sakura said with a slight smile.

Mebuki chuckled and took a sip of tea. "Parenthood is hard, but it's worth watching your child grow."

Kizashi giggled. "But of course, you were pretty behaved most of the time."

Sakura scratched her head sheepishly. "Haha, yeah..."

Mebuki reached down and picked up her grandson. "The real fun part is being a grandparent! Just you wait, you can spoil the kid and won't have to deal with the tantrums!"

"Yes, you seem to enjoy that quite a bit," Sakura deadpanned.

"That's the price you pay for having us babysit!" Kizashi said, almost wickedly.

"You know you love it."

"Yes, yes I do. But I also loved watching you blossom my flower." Kizashi said on a tender note.

Sakura blushed. "Stop it," she waved.

"I'm serious!"

* * *

A/N: I hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing it!


End file.
